5 ways to keep track of business cards
“My boss is inundated with business cards,” writes an admin reader. “Some are in Rolodexes, others are loose. But he doesn’t want to weed through and toss old ones. Any ideas on how to organize them?”
Category: Managing the Boss
Boss’s request dicey? Here’s what to do
Occasionally, your boss may ask you to do something that is against your better judgment. Admins must know how and when to push back on a boss. Scott Eblin, author of “The Next Level” blog, offers these suggestions:
Streamline e-mail processing
Streamliine email processing by having a single address for your boss and you.
Brown-nosing done right
Here’s reassuring news to anyone who loathes a sycophant: According to new research out of Northwestern University and the University of Michigan, overt ingratiation can backfire. The research revealed that there is a wrong way and a right way to suck up. So what does work?
Learn the 5 levels of delegation
Your boss just delegated a task to you. Are you clear on exactly what level of authority you have in handling the task? Keep these five very different levels of delegation in mind, says Michael Hyatt, chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Organizing a $408,000,000,000 CEO
Imagine the task of helping the CEO of a $408 billion business stay organized. Walmart CEO Mike Duke relies on his assistant, Paula, to help him track a business that spans 8,500-plus stores and employs 2.1 million people. What organizing principles keep the office humming?
Pitch your big idea
Jonah’s boss always tells employees to “think outside the box.” But when they do, top executives always turn them down. How can you convince the boss to try your ideas? Start by not selling an innovative big idea. Follow these steps:
Stretched between 2 bosses
Anyone who has worked for two or more bosses can tell you: The division of labor often leaves you feeling stretched both ways. But with some schedule-wrangling and communication skills, you can manage the work more smoothly.
What to say when it’s ‘not your job’
What’s the right thing to do when you’re asked to do something that doesn’t play to your strengths, or that was never mentioned as part of your job description, or that you flat-out don’t want to do? Admin Pro Forum readers weigh in:
Admins with ‘longevity’ in hot demand
The demand for highly skilled assistants has increased the past several years, as shareholders and customers demand greater access to executives. Among the most desired: assistants with tech savvy and “demonstrated longevity.” In other words, admins who have built over time a strong working relationship with their executive bosses.